Theatrical device



mm1. PoMERoY. THEATRICAL DEVICE. APPLICATION FIL-ED APR 30,1919.

Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

ough of Manhattan,

an immense soap bub nor zr. yroisrnno'i", or ANuvv Yoan, N. Y.

THEATBICAL DEVICE.

Specicaton of Letters Patent. Y

Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

Application filed April 30, 1919. Serial No. 293,609.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ROY J. PoMnnoY, a subject of his Majesty, the King of Great Britain, and a resident of New York, borin the county of New York and State of New York, have made and invented certain new and useful Improvements in Theatrical Devices, of which ythe following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a theatrical device wherein va framework inthe form of ahollow sphere is to be rotated and in which there is a stationary platform on which will be placed one or more dancers. The framework may all be painted various colors .or part of the framework `may be silvered and other portions of the framework may be shaded or colored so that when the sphere is rotated at two or three hundred revolutions per minute it -will appear as if it were a huge `bubble of a Vmyriad of colors, in which an artist or a number of artists are seen to perform, and

`thereby provide a very spectacular eifect.

The eifect is greatly enhanced by having a searchlight or spotlight thrown on the revolving globe to bring out the myriad of colors and to produce the beautiful illusion of an artist dancing Ilplr performing within Another object of my invention is to provide a device as above described wherein encircling circumferential bands 4may -be posiv tioned atan angle to thecentralvertical axis of the sphere, colors, so that the whole sphere will present a beautifullyT colored spectacular effect.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists incertain new and novel features of construction and combinations of parts as will be'hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

Referring now to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of my improved device with a portion of the supporting mechanismand rotating mechanism being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is aside elevation on a reduced scale of the improved device.

Referring now to the drawings, I have shown a conventional form of support and revolving mechanism and it is to be understood that any other suitable form for re- `on and Oif the stage or which bands are of variegated 4 volving and supporting the sphere might be substituted therefor.

In the rpreferred form I have shown the device as consisting of asu porting'base 1, which may be lprovided `wit a plurality of casters 2, so that the device may beirolled to any part ofthe stage desired. Centrally of this base 1 thereis shown an upright 3 which is bolted or secured in anyother suitable way, as 'at 4, to the base. This yuprightis provided with an encircling sleeve 5 which is positioned in a thrust bearing 6 at its lower end, and formed on `this sleeve 5, directly above' the said bearing, isa gear 7 which is operatedby a shaft 8 of a motor 9. Located'near the upper end of the shaft and surrounding the same, is an annular support 12 which vis rigidly held in place by the supportin'grods llwhich are also secured at their lower ends to the base 1. Located within this annular support vI2 is `a further thrust bearing 1li, and above and resting on the same is a race 15 which in turn supports a member 16 through the intermediary ball bearingsv 17. To this member 16 is secured by any suitable means a plurality -of longitudinally extending rods or pipes or bars 18 which are bent so that when they areall in position a framework yin the rform of a sphere is provided. The upper ends of these rods or bars 18 are also suitably .secured to an annular member 19.

These bars 18 of the framework may be silvered or partly colored if desired, and also encircling the sphere `and forming a part of the framework are the circumferentially .extending bars 20 which are preferably alittle wider'th'an the ,bars 18. These circumferentially extending bars 20 are preferably set at an angle to the vertical central aXis of the sphere and arek colored and shaded throughout their entire circumference.

In the drawings I have shown four of these bands 20, but it will be understood that a greater` or a lesser number might be equally and advantageously as `well used. Extending within the globe is the platform 21 which may be bolted` or otherwise secured to the upright 8 .heretofore mentioned, and on which an artist or a number of artists may dance or otherwise perform.

A searchlight or spotlight (not shown) is 4riations may be made without thrown on this sphere or globe and the motor 9 will then be started, which in turn will revolve the sleeve 5 to which the sphere is secured, and the sphere in turn will be revolved at the necessary rate of speed to produce the desired effect.

With the help of the strong light thrown on the globe or sphere, the colored or white rods 18, with the diagonally arranged bands 20 being of variegated colors, will present to the spectators the effect of a huge bubble which is apparently transparent and which will be of ever changing color, in which bubble the artist will perform. The sphere thus arranged will give'the appearance of a large, filmy, transparent soap bubble and will present the myriad of colors as seen in a soap bubble when shown in the sunlight.

In the two views I have shown the metal framework consisting of the bars or rods 18 bent to form a sphere when assembled, but it is to be understood that if for any reason it was desired to have these bars bent to form the outline of any other ligure rather than a spherevit may be easily done, and I do not wish in any way to limit myself to the revolving framework being in the form of a sphere.

The rods 18 and the bands 20 should preferably have a good reiecting surface rather than a dull surface, as a higher reflecting surface is what presents the beautiful illus1on.

Furthermore, in the drawings I have shown the device as of relatively large size, but of course this might also be made in miniature for use as a window display and instead of having an artist on the platform any mechanical ligure or other object might be used in a miniature form.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have produced a theatrical device that is highly spectacular, presenting the beautiful appearence or illusion of a large soap bubble of wonderful colors, in whic a person is seen to perform.

It will also be seen that the device is one that may be cheaply and easily made, without being relatively expensive, and which may be Wheeled on and off or about the stage when desired.

It is to understood that the supporting and revolving mechanism is a conventional one, as well as the manner in which the rods or framework of the globe are fastened, and

-I do not wish in any way to limit myself to the precise mechanism shown, as many vain any way departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described and explained my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. A display device comprising an openwork frame which is everywhere circular in cross-section about a given axis, circumferential bands forming a portion of said frame and lying in a plane located at an angle to said axis, means for revolving said frame about said axis at a rate of speed suiiicient to cause the frame to simulate the appearance of a filmy article.

A 2. A display device comprising an openwork frame which is everywhere circular in cross-section about a given axis, circumferential bands forming a portion of said frame and lying in a plane located at an angle to said axis, means for revolving said frame about said axis at a rate of speed sui'icient to cause the frame to simulate the appearance of a iilmy article, and a platform mounted within said frame.

3. A display device comprising an openwork frame in the form of a hollow sphere and including circumferential bands lying in a plane at an angle to the axis of the sphere, the frame and bands provided with colored and light-reflecting surfaces, a stationary platform mounted within said sphere, and means for rotating said frame about said axis at a rate of speed sufficient to cause the frame to simulate the appearance of a soap bubble.

4. The method of producing the appearance of a ilmy article consisting in revolving an openwork frame which isy everywhere circular in cross-section about the axis of rotation and which includes circumferential bands lying at an angle to the axis of l rotation at a speed sufficient to cause the members of the frame to blend one into the other.

5. A frame in the form of a hollow sphere, means for rotating the same, a platform in said sphere but supported from without the sphere, a movable base for supporting the sphere and platform, and circumferential bands on said sphere and placed at an angle to the vertical central axis of said sphere.

6. A skeleton work sphere, means for rotating the same about its vertical central axis, a platform in said sphere for supporting an object, circumferential parallel bands on said sphere and extending diagonally 'to the vertical central axis.

7. A movable base, an upright secured to said base and a platform secured to the upper end of said upright; a sleeve surrounding said upright and a member secured to the upper portion of said sleeve; a plurality of framework members secured to the members secured to said sleeve to form a hollow sphere, and a member at the to of the sphere to which the other ends of said framework members are secured; and means for revolving the sleeve to thereby revolve the framework forming the sphere.

8. A base and an upright secured thereon, a supporting member located above said base, and means between said base and said supporting member for holding the said Supporting member in position; an upright secured to the said .base and extending` through said supporting member, and a sleeve surrounding said upright; a member secured to said sleeve, and a plurality of rods secured to said member and bent to form a hollow sphere; a platform secured to said upright and located within said hollow sphere, and means for revolving the sleeve to thereby revolve said sphere.

9. `A framework comprising a plurality of rods bent to form the outline of a sphere; the lower end of said framework secured to an annular member; a base; an upright secured to said base, and a platform secured to the upper end of said upright and within the framework of the sphere; a sleeve inclosing said upright and rigidly fastened to the aforesaid annular member, and means connected to said sleeve for rotating the same to thereby rotate said sphere.

10. A sphere in the form of a hollow framework and provided with diagonally extending bands; a movable base; an upright secured to said base; a supporting member supported by said base to support said sphere; a sleeve surrounding said upright and to which the lower portion of said sphere is secured; and means for rotat` ing said sleeve to thereby rotate said sphere.

Signed at New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 24 day of April,

ROY J. POMEROY.

Witnesses ANNA V. VVALsH, AGNEs T. GRAY. 

